Steam-boiler superheater.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905. F. J. coLE.

STEAM BOILER SUPERHEATER.

APPLIOA'.['IQYfifl FILED NOV. 28, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

WITNESSES PATENTED PBB. 14, 1905.

P. ,J. COLE. STEAM BOILER SUPERHEATERR APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904,

2SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

wmussses V yamfia/ 6.2%7WZ/1 Patented February 14, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC FRANCIS J. COLE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEAM-BOILER SUPERHEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,488; dated February 14, 1905. Application as November 23, 1904.. Serial No. 234,4e1'.

To all whom, it puny concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs J. COLE, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam-Boiler Superheaters, of,which improvement the following is a specification.

My present invention relatesto superheaters ofthe general class or type exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States No.

765,307, granted and issued to the American Locomotive Company as my assignee under date of July 19, 1904; and its object is to provide a superheating appliance of such type in which the length of traverse of the steam to be superheated while exposed to the hot gases shall be largely increased relatively to any determined length of superheating fire-tube and the superheating of the steam be consequently effected to a correspondingly higher degree.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section through the smoke-box and a portion of the waist of alocomotive-boiler, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale and on the line b b of Fig. 3, through the T-head, one of the headers, and the connected superheaterpipes; Fig. 3, a front view, partly in section, of slightly more than one-half of the T-head with two of the headers detached and indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 4, a horizontal longitudinal section, on a further enlarged scale, through one of the headers, a portion of a superheating fire-tube, and the superheaterpipes located in said tube; and Fig. 5, a transverse section, on a further enlarged scale, on the line a a of Fig. 4.

My invention is herein, as in Letters Patent No. 765,307 aforesaid, exemplified as applied in connection with a locomotive-boiler 4, which is of the ordinary construction and is provided at its forward end with a smokebox 4, which is supported upon the usual cylinder-saddles 12. A plurality of fire-tubes 4 ordinarily of comparatively small diameter,

extend from a fire-box at the rear end of the boiler, which is not shown, to the front fluesheet 4, and the products of combustion pass through said tubes and through other tubes, which will presently be described, to the smoke-box 4, from which they are discharged into the atmosphere through the stack 4. Steam is supplied from the boiler to the cylinders through a main steam-pipe or dry pipe 61, passing through the front flue-sheet 4 and connected in front thereof to a transverse T-head 62, from which branch steam-pipes 63, located on opposite sides of the smokebox, lead to the cylinders. The exhaust-steam is discharged from the cylinders through a vertical exhaust-pipe 64, secured to the saddles 12 in line axially with the stack, and in the instance showntwo petticoat or draft pipes 66 are interposed between the exhaust-pipe and the stack. The smoke-box is where solid fuel is used fitted with a spark-arresting appliance of any suitable and preferred construction, which is here shown as comprising a diaphragm or deflecting plate 4 and a sheet of netting or perforated plate 4 In the practice of my invention I substitute, in lieu of a number of the usual small-diameter fire-tubes 4, in the upper and middle portion of the space within the boiler, which would in the usual practice be occupied by such number of said tubes a correspondingly smaller number of tubes 67 of greater diameter, which will be descriptively termed superheatingtubes, said superheating fire-tubes extending between and being expanded into the front flue-sheet 4 and the rear of fire-box tubesheet. Within each of the superheating firetubes there are located two or more pairs (preferably, as in the instance shown, four pairs) of inner superheater-pipes 68 and inclosing outer superheater-pipes 69, said pipes extending longitudinally in the superheating fire-tubes from a vertical plane a short distance-say thirty inches or thereaboutforward of the fire-box tube-sheet to vertical planes in the smoke-box forward of the T- head. The pairs of superheater-pipes are disposed in the superheating fire-tubes 67 in such manner as to give as'much clear space as possible in the lower portion of the tubes. as shown in Fig. 5, in order to reduce to a minimum the tendency of soot and cinders passing through the tubes to be retained in and clogthe same. The ends of the outer superheater-pipes nearer the fire-box are closed either by weldingor by plugs and may be held pu in normal position in the tubes by any suitable supports, and the forward ends of both the outer and the inner superheater-pipes are open. The outer superheater-pipes 69 are made of sufliciently small diameter to permit free passage of the products of combustion around them through the superheating firetubes, and the inner superheater-pipes 68 are made of sufficiently smaller diameter than the outer ones to provide a channel between the two for the passage of steam.

The four pipes 68 69 68 69 of each of the two or more horizontal rows or sets of inner and outer superheater-pipes which are located in each of the superheating fire-tubes 67 are connected, as presently to be described, with the main-supply steam-pipe 61 and the branch or delivery steam-pipes 63, so as to constitute a continuous avenue or channel, throughout the length of which the steam which is to be superheated traverses twice backwardly and twice forwardly or makes a double return within the superheating fire-tubes in its passage from the supply steam-pipe to the branch or delivery steam pipes. To this end the pairs of inner and outer superheater-pipes which are located in each vertical row of su perheating fire-tubes are connected at their forward ends to a vertical casing or header 70, which is divided by partitions into four chambers or compartments to wit, a top chamber 7 0, two side chambers 70 7 0, one of which, 70 is open to the top chamber, and a rear chamber 70". by side and as closely as practicable together in thesmoke-box 4, the upper portions of their rear sides abutting against the front of the T-head 62, and the headers are preferably, as shown, independently insertible and removable. The forward ends of the outer superheaterpipes 69 are expanded into the back walls of the rear chambers of the headers, and the adjacent ends of the inner superheater-pipes 68 are expanded into removable sleeves or sockets 70, screwed into the partitions which separate the rear chambers from the side chambers 70 70 of the headers. By reference to Figs. 3 and t it will be seen that all the inner superheater-pipes on one side of the vertical central plane of each vertical row of superheating fire-tubes communicate with one side chamber, as the chamber 7 O of the header of said vertical row, while all the inner superheater-pipes on the other side of the vertical central planecommunicate with the other side chamber, as the chamber 7 O All the outer superheater-pipes of each vertical row of superheating fire-tubes. commu- The headers 70 are set side nicate with the rear chamber 70 of its header. Openings closed by removable plugs 70 are formed in the front walls of the headers, these openings providing for the insertion, examination, cleaning, and repairs of the superheater-pipes. In the event of leakage at the joints the plugs can be detached and the inner pipes expanded, or an inner pipe or pipes can i be withdrawn and the adjacent outer pipe or pipes be expanded, as the case may require.

The T-head 62 is divided by a horizontal partition 62 into upper and lower chambers or compartments, the upper or supply compartment having ports 62 in its front, which register with ports in the top chambers 7 O of the headers, and communicate, through said chambers, with the side chambers 7 0 and the lower or delivery compartment having ports 62 in its front, which register with ports in the side chambers 70 The branch steampipes 68 are connected to nozzles at the ends of the lower compartment of the T-head. The front face of the T-head and the rear faces of the headers which surround the ports thereinabove specified are finished so as to make tight joints, and the headers are secured removably to the T-head bybolts 71 and clamps 71.

In operation steam from the boiler passes through the dry pipe 61 into the upper compartment of the T-head 62 and thence into the top chambers 70 of the headers 7 0, from which it passes downwardly in the communicating side chambers 70* thence rearwardly through the connected inner superheater-pipes 68 and out of their open rear ends into the spaces between them and the outer superheater-pipes. The steam then passes forwardly through said spaces into the rear chambers 7 0 of the headers, from which it again passes rearwardly through the connected outer superheaterpipes, and then forwardly through the inner superheater-pipes to the side chambers 70 of the headers, and thence into the lower compartment of the T-head 62, from which it passes through the branch steam-pipes 68 to the engine cylinders for utilization therein. In its traverse through the superheaterpipes the steam is thoroughly superheated by the hot products of combustion which pass through the inclosing superheatingfire-tubes, and by its double return in the superheaterpipes, as above described, the length of its traverse in the pipes and the period of its exposure to the hot products of combustion are caused to be substantially twice as great as in the appliance set forth in Letters Patent N 0. 765,807 aforesaid. The means whereby this double return of the steam is efi ected constitute the leading and characteristic feature of my present invention, and it will be obvious that they differ wholly, both in structure and operative result, from the mere duplication or multiplication of the single pairs of superheater-pipes of Patent N 0. 765,307. Such structural modification of the latter would of combustion which is resultant in the operation of the construction herein set forth.

The disposition of the superheater-pi'pes of each pair one within another, as herein described and shown, while advantageous in the particular of economizing space within the superheating fire-tubes, is not an essential of my invention, as it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, if preferred, thetwo pipes of each pair may without departure from the principle and characteristic feature of my invention be located side by side with their rear ends connected by return-bend couplings,their forward ends being connected to the chambers 70 and the chamber 70*, respectively, of the headers, as in the specific embodiment of the5| invention which has been herein exemplifie My present invention embodies all the substantial practical advantages of that of Patent No. 765,307, together with the further one of enabling the steam to be superheated to a materially higher degree, which under certain conditions of operation may be of considerable practical importance and value in railroad service.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. The combination, with a tubular steamboiler, of a superheating fire-tube, aset of four superheater-pipes located therein and constituting a continuous channel for a double return of steam, a main steam-supply pipe pass ing through the flue-sheet above the superheating fire-tube, a steam-delivery pipe located in the smoke-box of the boiler, and a vertical casing or header located forward of the superheating fire-tube and divided into compartments, one of which is provided with a port in its rear wall open to the steam-supply pipe, and which also communicates with the receiving end of one of the superheaterpipes, another which communicates with the delivery end of another superheater-pipe and which is provided with a rear-wall port adjoining the port of the first compartment and open to the delivery steam-pipe, and another which establishes communication between the ends of the two other superheater-pipes, mid- Way of the continuous steam-channel,

2. The combination, with a tubular steamboiler, of a superheating fire-tube, a'set of four superheater-pipes located therein and constituting a continuous channel for a double return of steam, a main steam-supply pipe, a

steam-delivery pipe, and a casing or header divided into compartments, one of which communicates with the supply-chamber of the T- head, and with the receiving end of one of the superheater-pipes, another with the delivery end of another superheater-pipe and with the delivery-compartment of the T-head, and another which establishes communication between the ends of the two other superheaterpipes, midway of the continuous steam-channel.

3. The combination, with a tubular steamboiler, of a vertical row of superheatingfiretubes, sets of four superheater-pipes located in the superheating fire-tubes, each set constituting a continuous channel for 'a double re, turn of steam, amain steam-supply pipe passing through the flue-sheet above the row of superheatingfire-tubes, a steam-delivery pipe, anda vertical casing or header located in the smoke-box in front of the row of superheating fire-tubes and divided into compartments, one of which is provided with a port in its rear wall open to the steam-supply pipe and which also communicates with the receiving end of one superheaterpipe of each set, another which communicates with the delivery end of another superheater-pipe of each set and which is provided with a rear-wall port adjoining the port of the first compartment and open to the delivery steam-pipe, and another which establishes communication between the ends of the two other superheater-pipes of each set, midway of the continuous steam-channels of the 1 TOO boiler, of a vertical row of superheating fire- 7 tubes, sets of four superheater-pipes located in the superheating fire-tubes, each set constituting a continuous channel for a double re turn of steam, a main steam-supply pipe, a

steam-delivery pipe, a T-head partitionedinto two chambers, one of which is open to the main steam-supply pipe and the other to'the steam-delivery pipe, and a casing or header divided into compartments, one of which communicates with the supply-chamber of the T- head and with the receiving end of one superheater-pipe of each set, another with the delivery end of another superheater-pipe of each set and with the delivery-compartment of the T-head, and another which establishes communication between the ends of the two other superheater-pipes of each set, midway of the continuous steam-channels of the several sets.

5. The combination, with a tubular steamboiler, of asuperheating lire-tube, outer superheater-pipes projecting thereinto and having their rear ends closed, inner superheater-pipes open at both ends and located within the outer superheater-pipes, a main steam-supply pipe, a steam-delivery pipe, a T-head partitioned into two chambers, one of which is open to the main steam-supply pipe and the other to the steam-delivery pipe, and aeasing orheader head, and another with the forward ends of divided into compartments, one of which comthe inner superheater-pipes.

munieates with the supply-chamber of the T- w 1 head and with the receiving end of one of the FRANCIS LOLE' 5 outer superheater-pipes, another with the de- Witnesses:

livery end of another outer superheater-pipe J. SNOWDEN BELL,

and with the delivery-compartment of the T- CL RENCE A. WILLIAMS. 

